As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
It is a guiding principle for Mark Trudel and Lisa Damignani. The couple own O’Sullivan Funeral Home in Sault Ste. Marie, the only family-owned funeral home in the city.
For Mark and Lisa, giving back is a passion.
Over the seven years that they have been in business Mark and Lisa say the community has given so much to them, that they simply want to give back.
This spirit of generosity extends to all the staff members at O’Sullivan Funeral Home as well. Every three months O’Sullivan Funeral Home purchases food, prepares meals and serves up to 150 people in need at the St. Vincent Place, a soup kitchen and men’s homeless shelter. Mark said, putting a smile on the face of a man who is destitute by simply putting a plate of food in front of him is gratifying.
Lisa and Mark support dozens of initiatives, including the Sault Area Hospital Foundation, ARCH Hospice, and the Algoma Autism Foundation and so many others. Mark Trudel said, “It’s important to support the community because the community supports us and it’s our way of giving back and we enjoy doing that.”
Each month a staff member at O’Sullivan’s selects their own charity and asks that charity what they need in donations. The monthly budget is $300. The staff purchase the items and then deliver them to the charity.
For instance, the recipient last month was an animal rescue organization called Northern Critters in Need. The staff members dropped off pet food, animal toys and blankets. This charity was thrilled because they operate solely on donations.
This month, a bookkeeper at the funeral home chose to help the local women’s shelter by purchasing personal items for the women and children.
They have supported S.O.Y.A., Save Our Young Adults from Prescription Drug Abuse and the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society.
Lisa and Mark support dozens of initiatives. They feel a great sense of responsibility in serving their community because the people they help are the people they see at events and on the street every day.
Why do they feel such a great need to give? They say it makes them happy to help people who need support. It also gives them an opportunity to show their gratitude, while at the same time further strengthening their connection to the community.
O’Sullivan Funeral Home has served people in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area for more than seven decades and has always been responsive to the needs of the community.
For Mark Trudel and Lisa Damignani, giving is their passion. It’s rooted in their personal values and principles. It is who they are.
For more information on O’Sullivan Funeral Home and their services visit O’SullivanFuneralHome.com